Should I buy or rent a mortar mixer or concrete mixer?

March 6, 2024

This question is one of the most frequent mixer related questions our rental staff are asked. Our contractor customers know the importance of using the right tools for the job.

Should I buy or rent a mortar mixer or concrete mixer? This question is one of the most frequent mixer related questions our rental staff are asked. Our contractor customers know the importance of using the right tools for the job. While mortar and concrete may have similar ingredients, using the wrong type of mixer can be less than ideal for both your job and equipment.

Mortar Vs. Concrete

The main difference between concrete and mortar is consistency. Concrete generally incorporates gravel or rock chips and has a thinner consistency when mixed. It is much stronger in compression than mortar and is ideal for structural projects like foundations, support beams, and walls. Concrete structures are often reinforced with steel rebar in order to ensure that they keep their integrity even while they settle in the soil.

While the term “cement” is often used as another term for “concrete”, cement is actually a key ingredient in concrete, along with sand, gravel, and pieces of stone.

Mortar has many of the same ingredients as concrete including sand. However, mortar has higher water content, giving it a thicker consistency. It works well as a “glue” for bonding materials like brick or stone together.

Mortar Mixers

Mortar mixers are made up of a stationary drum and internal paddles which rotate on a shaft with rubber drum wipers called paddle rubbers. The paddles rotate and simultaneously mix the mortar, sand and water while scraping the sides of the drum keeping the mortar from sticking to its sides. These heavy-duty mixers are tough enough to handle a range of jobs including stucco, plaster, epoxy, terrazzo, drywall mud, paint and even playground rubber.

While they work well for mortar mixtures, they should not be used for concrete. A much courser mixture like concrete causes wear on the paddle rubbers and rock or gravel can wedge between the paddle wiper and drum causing the machine to stop mixing.

Concrete mixers

These horizontal mixers feature a rotating drum with paddles attached to the drum so that they rotate with the drum to mix the concrete as it tries to stay stationary due to gravity. You may have seen horizontal mixers like these in action on the back of cement trucks on their way to a job site. The constant rotation of the drum ensures that the concrete mixture combines smoothly and doesn’t settle until it’s ready to be poured.

These types of mixers are ideal for mixes containing larger fragments like concrete but are less effective for “creamier” mixtures like mortar.

Now have enough information to decide on a mortar mixer or concrete mixer for your upcoming job. If you have any other questions about the differences between mortar mixers or concrete mixers and would like more information on which piece of equipment is right for your job please ask.

Trowel Trades inc.

Trowel Trades Inc specializes in equipment rental, tool retail, and repair services for the construction industry. Trowel Trades is a niche supplier of Masonry and Concrete tools and equipment as well as many other general construction tools. Trowel Trades is the Georgia Hydro Mobile Mast Climber dealer and we have a full compliment of conventional scaffolding and accessories. We stock job crucial items such as, Mortar Mixers, Concrete Mixers, Cut Off Saws, Block and Brick Saws, Grout Delivery Systems, Trash Chutes, Material Handlers, Power Trowels and more. If you can't get away from the job to pick up what you need we can ship it to your location. If we don't have it we can get it, and if we can't get it we will find you who can!

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